Listening for WisdomSample

Listening with an Obedient Heart

I bought my husband a sled dog experience. Yes, it is precisely what you think: a team of dogs that pull a sled through the snow. The passengers sit while the dogs do the work, directed by someone called a “musher.”

The musher yelled all sorts of directives to guide the dogs. As we rode, we asked him many questions. One fact stuck out to me: The leader of the sled dogs is not necessarily the most intelligent dog. Instead, he is the best listener. He keeps on the path obediently and, therefore, becomes the leader who guides the rest of the dogs forward.

Sometimes, I have lamented not feeling smart enough or good enough, yet Scripture says, “The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7, NIV). The simple become wise because they obediently follow the Lord’s direction and commands. Learning to hear God’s voice and becoming wise have to do with how attentive we are to God. Are we willing to open our Bibles every morning to hear God’s voice? Are we willing to create silence in our days to hear from him? It takes discipline, but I no longer desire to be the most intelligent person in the room. Instead, I desire to be the best listener, both in listening to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and in listening to the Word of God as I read it. Wisdom and understanding come to those who take the time to listen and obey.

Today, maybe it means adding ten minutes of silence to hear the birds or listen to the appliances in your kitchen. Engage all your senses. Be present to the ways God is working in and through the people around you. Then sit with the Word of God . . . take time to sit with each of the words individually. Retrain your brain to hear them as if for the first time. Actively engage with the text.

Knowing God’s voice starts with knowing the Word of God. As you read the Bible, you will become more confident in hearing from the Spirit and more sure of hearing God’s voice.

I called to order takeout the other day, and a voice on the other side said, “Mikella, is that you?” I giggled right away. “Morgan! I thought that was you!” I could confirm that Morgan was on the phone by testing her voice because we have a personal relationship, and her voice is distinct. We can have growing confidence in the Spirit’s voice as we consistently test what we are learning by studying other passages in the Bible that talk about the same subject. We grow in knowing the Spirit’s voice as we become more familiar with his promptings in and through his Word. Be prayerful in studying God’s Word and submit yourself to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and you will easily recognize his voice.